Author Archive for Margot

Recently I have been getting inquiries about what the codes and colored boxes mean on postal Junk mail address labels.

It’s an very difficult question to answer because I am afraid most all catalogs have different meanings and different numbers. The reason is that catalog companies use their internal tracking customer numbers, catalog numbers, reference numbers, source codes, etc… to track where they got your information from or which catalog you are ordering from.

Sometimes catalogs will send a one off mailing and there will only be one code on the catalog. Some will have all sorts of numbers because you are a current customer. These codes will tell them 2 things; where they got your name from and how to track the order when you purchase from the mailing.

Here are some of the address label codes from catalogs demystified in relationship to opting out of junk mail:

USPS Postal bulk mailing codes which are not relevant:

1. In General the first line of the Address label looks like:
*******************ECRLOT 0123D**C-018
are not relevant.

2. Numbers to the left or right of your name that look like
003
P290
92675
Are also not relevant they are USPS Postal mailing codes and permit numbers that the Post Office uses on bulk mailings.

Relevant Direct Mail Codes:

1. Colored boxes
These are generally marked clearly as customer Number and catalog/source/keycode. When using stopthejunkmail.com to remove your name from mailing lists, use these numbers in the corresponding entry areas provided or write “Catalog Code LL2369110” to be clear.

2. Non Labeled Codes and Numbers
Sometimes you will also find a number in the first line above your name, this is generally the Customer Number. They may even appear with a C as the first letter.

3. How do you confirm that you have the right codes?
Most catalogs have an order form inside the cover or a lift out flyer in the middle of the catalog. In here your name and address will be printed and above it there will be the same numbers as there are on the address label. This will confirm which numbers are relevant.

4. Stopthejunkmail.com
Our website provides entry boxes for members to enter as much of the relevant codes information as possible, but they are only guidelines. If you see a code that says Ref#, then write Ref# in the box provided. If you have a string of numbers without a label then just write them all out as they appear in the boxes provided.

Summary
All of these numbers are meaningful to the direct mail company and will help them determine where your name came from, if it was rented, bought, shared or on their own mailing list. Supplying this information when you are removing your name from mailing lists will make sure you are removed quickly and efficiently.

Have you ever thought that using a service such as www.stopthejunkmail.com can act as a spam filter for your postal Junk Mail?

You can filter your spam from your email accounts and filter computer games, advertising and websites on your computer. There are also devices where you can filter TV programs from children, but there is no such thing for your postal mail box.

You are a captive audience when you move into an apartment, buy a house or sign a lease. Direct mailers have hit on the one thing you cannot turn off, walk away from, block or spam filter! How ingenious!

Well it’s that time of year again, although I have read some recent blogs and articles about how the direct mail industry has been hit by the recession I don’t believe that this year will be much different. I would think they will be trying any method in order to get sales.

So, it is the time to get to work to block those Holiday catalogs coming to your mail box. You already have the “Back to School” Catalogs I am sure and the Fall issues trying to sell you Halloween and thanksgiving items.

Why now? Well most of these companies are already setting up printing for their holiday issues and photo shoots are completed. Catalog companies don’t do their own mailing, they leave it to bulk mailers who will ship on booked delivery date. Catalogs are delivered to bulk mailers well in advance of these dates.

Do you hate checking your mailbox at home or at your office because you know it is going to be full of junk mail? Have you ever wondered if there was a solution to cut down on your junk mail once and for all? There is a solution, and it’s only a mouse click away!

At times it seems like every day when we check our mailboxes at home they are full of fliers, sales papers, or some other kind of junk mail. It’s junk mail that will never get read, or opened. It usually goes straight into the trash without a second thought. Have you ever wondered if there is a way to stop the junk mail from filling up your trashcan or recycle bin?

If you are like most people, you are flooded with junk mail. Of course it is possible to go through each piece, contact the senders and ask to be removed from their mailing list. But what if there was an easier way? A way that would ensure that you received no junk mail? A way that did not involve you filling out post cards, spending hours on the phone, and works for both home and businesses?

There is an easy way, that is just a mouse click away. www.stopthejunkmail.com is your one stop shop for putting an end to junk mail, credit card offers, and anything else that clogs up your mailbox, and ends up in the recycle bin.

We have an extensive database of over 9000 listings that you can remove yourself from easily. Once you become a member, we will plant a tree in order to help the environment as well. Not only are you helping the environment by opting out of junk mail, but you are also helping by having a tree planted.

There are lot more very useful Junk Mail services out there to help you stop the catalogs coming to your personal home mailbox. A service such as www.stopthejunkmail.com, 41pounds or greendimes will work for you if you are persistent and stop every catalog that comes to your USPS mail box.

Stopping catalogs isn’t something that happens over night, most direct mail companies will send their catalogs to a bulk mailer up to 3 months in advance of a delivery date. Even if you contact a catalog direct mailer and ask to be removed from their mailing list they will automatically tell you that you may receive 3-4 additional catalogs.

or as Neiman Marcus says”
> We will make every effort to comply with your
> request. Please be advised that the names are
> selected for the mailing list in advance. You may
> receive four to six additional catalogs before
> the removal is complete.”

The second part of the puzzle is to look at the address label carefully each time you stop the catalogs. Your name may appear on the catalog mailing list 3 or 4 times and each time it is spelled differently or has a unique account number. Each of these need to be removed from the list.

A third possibility is that your name was on a rented list. In this case your name will only be added to their private catalog mail preference list if you actually order merchandise.

Here is a new concept from The Company Store. The company Store is now offering an option for consumers to Opt-In to a “Reduced Mail Plan” in which you would only receive 4 catalogs throughout the year.

I would advise any of our members to call and sign up for this if they like to still receive The Company Store catalogs.

I would think that this is partially based upon the pressures that the recession is having on the direct mail business. But kudos to The company Store for recognizing that consumers do like to be offered choices.

We had an email at stopthejunkmail.com this past week from Williams-Sonoma letting us know that they will not be honoring our opt out requests since our service is not “…convenient, trustworthy and provided free of charge….”

After 8 years of honoring our requests we are no longer a preferred 3rd party because we charge for our service. As for trustworthy we are members of the BBB, a trusted mark in any business.

Williams-Sonoma go on to state that “…we honor mail preference requests from the following third party resources… DMA and Catalog Choice“. Because we are not backed by the government nor by other charitable organizations we are penalized for trying to keep our business up and running in a recession . The biggest losers will be our members.

In the same breathe they then state emphatically that they are:

“… deeply committed to respecting our customers’ privacy and personal communication preferences. As such, we honor catalog mail preference requests expressed by our customers directly through any of the following sources: via direct email, via the mail preference service on each brand web site, or directly to any of our customer care centers.” It appears they are being selective with customer preferences not committed.

BTW: The DMA is not a free service, Williams-Sonoma pay a large fee to be member of the DMA but it is however free to the consumer. The DMA collects consumer info via the Mail Preference Service and in 3 years probably uses this consumer data for new marketing campaigns. Catalog Choice are now offering a shopping service for catalogs. In the long run it seems that the DMA and Catalog Choice are actually collecting opt-ins!